Peace
Corps:
The Power
of an Idea
The
history of the Peace Corps is the story of tens of thousands of people
who have served as Volunteers since 1961. Their individual experiences
-- in the villages, towns, and cities of more than 130 countries -- have
composed a legacy of service that has become part of America's history.
After a day of campaigning for the presidency, John F. Kennedy arrived
at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor on October 14, 1960, at 2:00
a.m., to get some sleep, not to propose the establishment of an international
volunteer organization. Members of the press had retired for the night,
believing that nothing interesting would happen.
But 10,000 students at the University were waiting to hear the presidential candidate speak, and it was there on the steps of the Michigan Union that a bold new experiment in public service was launched. The assembled students heard the future President issue a challenge: how many of them, he asked, would be willing to serve their country and the cause of peace by living and working in the developing world?
The reaction was both swift and enthusiastic, and over the last 38 years, more than 150,000 Americans have responded to this enduring challenge. And since then, the Peace Corps has demonstrated how the power of an idea can capture the imagination of an entire nation.
To learn more about the history the Peace Corps, visit there website at http://www.peacecorps.gov.